This invention relates to an apparatus for estimating the locality of a leaking spot in a pipeline conveying a liquid phase, gas phase and gas-liquid two phase fluids.
Leaks in a pipeline, for example, in a petroleum pipeline invite not only losses in productivity but also destruction of environment particularly in the case of a submarine pipeline. Similar problems are brought about by leaks in other various pipelines. In any case, it is necessary to detect the leaks as soon as possible in the first step and to estimate the locations of leaks in the second step in order to take appropriate measures.
For this purpose, there have been proposed various methods, including a method of, after detecting existence of a leak in the first step, estimating the locality of the leak by averaging operation based on pressure gradients and mean pressures (V. H. Siebert, R. Iserman, "Leckerkennung und -lokalisierung bei Pipelinens druch on-line-Korrelation mit einem Prozessrechner", Regelungstechnik, Heft 3, Seite 69-74, (1977)).
However, the estimation of the localities of leakage by the averaging operation has been found unsatisfactory in accuracy and applicable only to pipelines for liquids.